Arc Review: White Hart (White Hart #1) - Sarah Dalton by Kimmy

Hi folks,

I'm so excited to share the following review with you all:

White Hart (White Hart #1)

by Sarah Dalton

Release Date: 1st March 2014

Rating:

**Disclaimer - I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Summary:

Mae never asked to be craft-born. She never wanted that burden.

The realm needs magic again, and the the King of Aegunlund has been waiting for the first craft-born girl to marry his son, Prince Casimir.

In Mae's town of Halts-Walden, the ambitious miller claims his daughter Ellen is craft-born. Mae knows this is a load of hogwash, but she's glad Ellen will have the unfortunate pleasure of becoming queen instead of her. All she has to do is sit back and wait until Casimir and Ellen are married, then she will finally be free of the threat of her fate. But on that day an event so shocking and terrible occurs that Mae finds herself entering the neighbouring cursed forest on a quest she never thought she'd have to follow. 

Join Mae as she rides her white stag through the Waerg Woods with a pampered prince at her heels. She's out for revenge and nothing, no one, will get in her way.

Review:

I had been doing a bit of searching through Goodreads, looking for books to add to my anticipated reads 2014 list.  Upon seeing this cover, it instantly caught my attention.  So simple, yet effective.  A proud mythical creature beckoning me into its world.  Inviting me on an adventure!

From the first page I was instantly hooked.  The storyline was so well written, the progression unrushed.  Mae is such a loveable character, a free spirit and yearning for adventure.  The authors writing style leaves nothing to the imagination.  Everything has just the right amount of detail, you almost feel like your there, your Mae and this is your journey.  

All 3 times I picked this up to read, I found it so hard to put down, on the 3rd time I was finished.  Finished the book with a cliffhanger...why do you do this to me!?! lol.  But this is exactly the kind of series I love, ending a book the way this one ended, just makes you want more!

It pains me knowing that this book is only getting released next month.  I need the next books in the series now, I must know what happens next!

So what are you waiting for, get this book added to your Goodreads shelf, spread the word to your fellow readers and get ready to purchase this book on the 1st March 2014.  This is going to be one amazing series!

Feeling lucky? Head over to Goodreads and enter the competition for your chance to win a signed paperback.  Good luck!

Congratulations to Sarah Dalton, may you have many future successes!

Useful Links

Goodreads Page

Sarah Dalton Website

Goodreads Competition
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Rinny Rambles #1

Hi Peeps :) Welcome to the first ever Rinny's Ramblings. How are you all today? I have had a semi proactive day which is good as i was having a  rubbish day but that all changed as, I got my book from hive.co.uk (courtesy of Kimmy for my birthday) eeekk so excited. I have wanted this for ages since i first watched The Almighty Johnsons. Have you seen it? I love it, I've always had a mild interest in mythology and history etc. However as soon as i watched this it sparked an interest for Norse Mythology and so many ideas for me.

Cant wait to read it the front cover is beautiful and cover in post its lol Do you take notes when reading? I love too in my phone, on paper and on pc. I cant help it I love writing notes and lists.

So onto the next productive thing I have done today. I am too shy to get in front of the camera esp at moment due to health. But I did make a video sort of a about us ....... We're on YouTube now :) quick go watch like and subscribe. 

Lastly i want to talk about reading slumps. I have been in a mini one for a few weeks and it is not any books fault. I just cant get into the reading groove at the moment. What do you do in a reading slump? help me give me tips? Last night i finally had enough and decided to try going back to my old way of reading having two books on the go. I'm thinking perhaps i have been reading only the same kind of books for a few months that might be why, tho i have been having bad health issues so maybe that is a factor. So at the moment i am reading Falls the shadow by Melissa Sasina which i am enjoying such beautiful writing and its got Norse mythology in which just well is so me at the moment. I just cant read more than a few pages at a time without losing focus. So for my second book i have went in a total different direction from my normal reads and last night read about 60 pages. It is Modogamous by Karen . E . Martin. Its humorous and a light easy read so far. What are you reading? Let us know all your comments and answers below in the comments, we get lonely in there alone.

Rainbow Loom Beginners Book Review... Loom Joy or Madness? By Rinny

I was so happy at Christmas when I unwrapped a Rainbow Loom. I had been 'hinting'  at my husband for months after watching video after video on YouTube. I can not recommend rainbow loom's enough for young and old if you like crafting then you will enjoy the endless possibilities it provides. Anyway I have been addicted to it since Christmas and find some of the YouTube videos hard to follow for various reasons either talking to fast, too low or weird camera angles. So when I saw that there was a chance to review this book for free i thought Eeek that's definitely  for me and was so excited.

**Disclaimer - I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Loom Jewelery for Beginners: An Illustrated 

Step By Step Guide By  Melinda Rolf

BLURB: It’s official! Rainbow Loom™ is THE must have, must do activity of the year, and this “Illustrated Beginners Guide” will have you on your way to creating super cool, super fun rubber band jewelry, bracelets, headbands, key chains and other fabulous items with your Rainbow Loom® , Cra-Z-Loom™, or FunLoom™ 

Rubber band jewelry is great fun for camping trips, sleepovers, parties, girls night out, mom and daughter time…..and Moms , did you know that some therapists believe that making loom bracelets and other items can “Improve visual and perceptual skills and help with problem solving, finger dexterity, hand strength, coordination and more”. Source: Occupational Therapist, Jennifer Todd-Barnard . 

This is the ultimate companion for anyone who own a Rainbow Loom™ and who is just starting out. These easy to follow, fully illustrated patterns will have you on your way to creative genius in no time at all. With hundreds of full color photos to show exactly what to do and when to do it so you won’t get lost. 

Get it today so you can dive into this latest craze with confidence and start to create your own style of super cool rubber band jewelry, bracelets and more.

LINKS
Goodreads
Amazon

***Disclaimer - I was given a copy for free by publisher/author for a honest review in return***

I was so excited to try this book and have done so a few times dipping in and out. I also have put off reviewing as I have been so unsure about how to and what I felt about this book. There is 10 projects for you to grab your loom and hook away with. I have to say that I was a bit dubious at first thinking that it was just going to be designs I had already done or seen thanks to YouTube and a rainbow loom group I am a member of. There was some I had seen or done before but also many I had not. (also just to point out that the spelling mistakes of jewellery above are the american spelling and I did not want to correct them to my UK

Each design has written and picture instructions showing the steps. I have to say I did have a few failed attempts and at first I found the written instructions at times a little confusing also a couple of the pictures not as clear or as close (position) as I would have liked. It is a good alternative to YouTube videos if you find them hard to follow. Although I do think as detailed as the written instructions are, I found that I was sometimes left thinking hang on a second I'm sure you are meant to do this first or this was missed. Although often the pictures did cover the pieces I thought were not as explained as well in the written text. Perhaps I did not help as it does say till you get the hang of the design to follow the colours that are used in the book. However, as with YouTube videos I often have to change the colours or I have no inkling to go through with making the bracelet/item. Below are pictures of three items I did make with the book. I could not do the keyring as I did not have the keyring attachment, which is a shame as it is the one I think looked the most interesting to me and had one of the most easy and clearest instructions.

  

The instructions at the end of each design on how to extend the bracelet were excellent clear and easy to follow. I only extended the bracelet that way on one as I personally find it easier to do it a different way just with the hook and bands as I have annoyingly short and stubby fingers and sometimes find it hard to get the bracelet back onto the loom. My daughter did a simple bracelet design from the book and found it a lot easier than following me when I tried to teach her, the instructions provided with loom and even a YouTube video. Overall it is a good book however I did find it hard to do some of the designs due to unclear pictures and some of the written text. The author has put in a lot of hard work and that is clearly seen. In an effort to be fully honest I have to confess I did not manage to do all of the designs as the book just did not work for me when trying to do them. Perhaps I find it easier to follow YouTube videos and the book will work for you. 

I've had to pause for a long while before finishing this review. I just cannot decide what to rate this book part of me says 2.5 but then also a large part of me is saying 3 as it is not a bad book and did do its job I did make some bits and bobs from it.

A Dalektable Quiz Book For Whovians By Rinny

Today I have a review with a difference. It is a Interactive Kindle Quiz book and with guest review input from Mini Cupcake (My 11yr old Step Daughter Courts).

Doctor Who the interactive quiz book

By Julia Reed

My rating : 

  

Courts rating :

 

USEFUL LINKS

Goodreads

Amazon

**Disclaimer - I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

My husband and step daughter are huge Whovians, so I knew I could not pass up the opportunity to try this out. I was also interested as i had not tried an interactive quiz book on kindle before. I have to say i found that it worked well and a fun alternative to paperback quiz books.

It was fun, interesting and got us all doing something together, which as Courts is now a tween is a rare thing lol. There is alot to like such as the nice touch of added snippets of information after each question and if you are a Whovian how can you dislike a quiz book which is just for you and people like you? 

I think for this review it will be best to base it on what Courts and my husband thought, with just little bits from me as they are the bigger Whovians. Courtney enjoyed doing the quiz she did not understand a couple of words. So we had to explain them to her, which she said would be a bigger issue for younger children especially without an adult's help. She also said that the lack of pictures or even coloured pages made it hard for her to concentrate. She felt that the black and blue words on white were hard to focus continually on. (We did the book on Kindle app for pc, might be different on actual kindle or kindle fire). Again she was quick to say that with older kids it is not such a big deal as it would be for younger kids.  She really enjoyed the information after the questions but not the option to try again when you got it wrong. She says she feels that the only major downfall and I have to agree is the fact that the result you get at the end is based on time taken and not on the score. She says it kind of took a bit of the thrill away from getting them right as she could see people just trying to whizz through to get a better time and the result is not based on your knowledge which we both feel it should be. She said she would like to try other Dr who quiz books by the author but ranged through the most recent three doctors or over a range of series. She also said she would recommend it to her friends so i guess that is a big thumbs up :)

We both agreed that it is a fun, quick activity for 8yrs up and that it would work as a family activity especially as younger children might need help with words. If your a Whovian who needs something fun to fill a short car trip or rainy hour, I do not think you would be disappointed. It is amazing the little things you overlook or have missed watching the show even over and over again like us.

Courtney scored 30/42 and 3/5 bonus questions and time taken got her companion status. What did you score? Are you a Whovian?

Dragons..nuff said! by Kimmy

My first review of Febuary 2014:

**Disclaimer - I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Firebolt: The Dragonian Series #1
by Adrienne Woods

Summary:

Dragons. Right. Teenage girls don’t believe in fairy tales, and sixteen-year old Elena Watkins was no different.  Until the night a fairy tale killed her father.

Now Elena’s in a new world, and a new school. The cutest guy around may be an evil dragon, a Prince wants Elena’s heart, and a long dead sorcerer may be waking up to kill her. Oh. And the only way Elena’s going to graduate, is on the back of a dragon of her own.

Teenage girls don’t believe in fairy tales. Now it’s time for Elena to believe – in herself.

Review:

When I first came across this book on Goodreads, I knew immediately I wanted to read it.  I will be honest and say the first page or two I felt slightly overwhelmed with the descriptive writing.  But it quickly calmed down and had me hooked almost immediately.  I'm really excited for the next book in the series.

The storyline progressed well and didn't feel too rushed.  A book full of dragon lore, magic, young love and more, it all sets for a very captivating read.  This book leaves nothing to the imagination, from the beautiful description of Paegeia to the excellent detail of each type of dragon.  Throughout the book and finishing it, I am left with many theories on what is in store next for Elena and her newfound friends.  I can't wait for Rinny to read this so we can discuss.

I know there are many dragon lovers out there and not too many books to satisfy our needs.  Luckily, we have found a new must read!

So what are you waiting for, go get this book now, links posted below.

Congratulations to Adrienne Woods, may you have many future successes!

Useful Links

Goodreads Page

Adrienne Woods Website

Purchase from Amazon UK

Purchase from Amazon US